TIME: Is ‘The Most Homophobic Place on Earth’ Turning Around?

In 2006, Time magazine called Jamaica “the most homophobic place on earth.” The country was experiencing excessive violence and hate crimes against gays and lesbians. Three years later, a friend and I were robbed and sexually assaulted in Jamaica. We are both lesbians. When I first reported the incident to the police, an officer told me I should “leave this lifestyle and go back to the church.” But I didn’t. I reported the incident and testified against my assaulter. I became an advocate for other women like me.

TIME says things are are changing, you can now walk down the street with your boyfriend holding hands and people will say what a cute couple. You can tell your family about the guy you plan to marry and bring home to meet mommy.

You can also also add your boyfriend on your Sagicor Insurance. Don't worry about having your commitment ceremony at Hope Gardens. By the way, neighbors won't mind him coming over every night and both of you making those loud grunts in ecstasy.

PaulDee saidTIME says things are are changing, you can now walk down the street with your boyfriend holding hands and people will say what a cute couple. You can tell your family about the guy you plan to marry and bring home to meet mommy.

You can also also add your boyfriend on your Sagicor Insurance. Don't worry about having your commitment ceremony at Hope Gardens. By the way, neighbors won't mind him coming over every night and both of you making those loud grunts in ecstasy.

Is there something to this? I was getting a much darker impression based on your previous posts; was I just seeing the bad, or is TIME sugar-coating the situation, or a little of both?

PaulDee saidTIME says things are are changing, you can now walk down the street with your boyfriend holding hands and people will say what a cute couple. You can tell your family about the guy you plan to marry and bring home to meet mommy.

You can also also add your boyfriend on your Sagicor Insurance. Don't worry about having your commitment ceremony at Hope Gardens. By the way, neighbors won't mind him coming over every night and both of you making those loud grunts in ecstasy.

Is there something to this? I was getting a much darker impression based on your previous posts; was I just seeing the bad, or is TIME sugar-coating the situation, or a little of both?

Time is indeed sugar coating it, don't get me wrong, they do admit there is a lot of work to be done. Its just that this country is not going to escape its image as being very homophobic either. The majority of the society don't want to lose that image either. I believe the Jamaican Government is using persons within the LGBT community here to try and rebuild the countries image as tolerant towards the LGBT community.

The prominent local LGBT organization is JFLAG. The director happens to be on the Jamaica Tourist Board. Coincidence? I think not. When a transgender teen Dwayne Jones was brutally murdered at a street party in 2013, he went on CNN and said it was isolated and things are actually improving. When homeless LGBT youth insisted they attend the IDAHOT gala, JFLAG insisted they not. So I think there is some focus on mainstreaming LGBT rights here without it actually having an impact on those who are actually in need. Meaning, there are some LGBT hypocrites here in the Governments pocket.

We had a discussion about this on Facebook and the majority consensus is that Jamaica remains a very unsafe place to be LGBT. When persons say it is improving, I believe thats more smoke and mirrors. Jamaicans are wise, they know they have a reputation abroad. They know when to say what, when and where. Certain things don't make it in the media.